Customercon Body Types
One of the reasons for the Customercons’ terrifying ability to fill up all available space is their use of standardised, mass-produced body types. The vast majority of Customercons are equipped with one of these standardised types, allowing them to quickly increase their numbers and make up their often considerable losses. While this does allow them to maintain a high population despite their own ineptitude, it also leads to some loss of individuality; hence the image of Customercons as mindless hordes. Overview Like the Customercons themselves, the origin of their mass-production body types is a mystery. The bodies are built in massive automated factories in the deepest pits of Hfil, but where these factories themselves come from is unknown. It’s clear that the Customercons themselves did not build them, given the quality of their other engineering enterprises. Likewise, it does not appear that they were built by Hfil’s previous inhabitants, given that these factories are purpose designed for building Transformer bodies. It is possible that they are the product of the enigmatic entity that lords over the Customercons, but since they’re so damned mysterious, we will never know. These factories build new bodies from raw materials culled from either the depths of Hfil or whatever resources the Customercons have managed to steal. They also are capable of recycling destroyed Customercons, or those that simply wander too close to the poorly signposted smelting pools. This happens a lot. Upon reaching the end of the assembly line, the completed Customercon is implanted with a Customercon spark, bringing it to life. It then walks off the assembly line (and sometimes into the nearest wall) to take its place in the Customercon ranks. The exact logic behind the functionality of the lines is unclear. They will sporadically introduce new models of Customercon into production, as well as removing older ones. How this process is unknown, but it probably involves the aforesaid enigmatic dark entity. Sometimes a Customercon body type will even be ‘rested’ and then resume production at a later interval. Some bodies have also undergone numerous revisions during their lifespan; for example, the current production model of the popular Fillor type is Fillor version 3.31, Revision 6, Service Pack One, Manchester nil. Presumably this process is more efficient than just replacing it with a new model outright. Capabilities The capabilities of a Customercon will vary from individual to individual, but will tend to fall within a standard range for their type. For example, all Van Dude Customercons will be slow, strong and durable, while all Fillors will be fast, agile and liable to explode. Many body types feature integral features that are common across the range, such as the Van Dude’s grabber claw, the Fillor’s chest cannon or the Fuzzbox’s fondle arms. However, the individual weapons and capabilities can vary across a body type based on the personality and abilities of the individual spark and, more often than not, whatever gun they happened to get their hands on. The alt-mode of a Customercon is dictated by both the capabilities and form of their body type. By default, a body type will use a vaguely futuristic/Cybetronian alt-mode. Any different alt-modes, such as an Earth vehicle, will be derived from that. For example, due to their size and shape and having wheels, Fillors will take on Earth car alt-modes. Likewise, since the Jeffwing has a Cybetronian jet form by default, their Earth disguise will usually be jet fighter. Of course, the Customercons’ tendency towards mindlessness will be a factor here. If, say, one Van Dude takes on an alt mode of a thinly veiled Bulldog II armoured truck, then all of them will decide to look like the exact same truck. The presence of Outliers amongst Customercons is not unknown, but they are so exceedingly rare as to be virtually non-existent. Added to that, the general stupidity of the Customercons means that such abilities are often overlooked. Similarly, there are abnormalities such as Franklin Delenor Roosevelt Minicon III, earl of ToeJaAm’s ability to Powerlinx. This trait appears to be unique to him, rather than the entire Greppo body type. It’s possible that Franklin is an Outlier himself. Or, alternatively, no other Greppo has tried to stick a Minicon onto themselves. Demographics The Customercon statistician Calcule attempted a thorough census of the Customercon population, but his efforts were hampered by their propensity to blow up, catch fire, fall into molten lava pits and fail to understand surveys. Despite this, he found that the Fillor body type was the most common form of Customercon. Conversely, the Bonglio type that he used was one of the rarest, used by 2.347% of Customercons. The rarest is the Steveosaur model which Calcule stated statistically does not exist. As such, any Stevosaurs encountered are rounding errors. There are a number of obsolete Customercon body types that are no longer in production and have largely fallen out of use. Customercons that still use these body types are rare, due to their utter lack of survival instincts. Despite the fact that many of these bodies are blocky, have limited articulation, break easily and are prone to chipping and losing their paint, many insist that they are still the best. A tiny minority of Customercons fall outside of the standard range of body types. There are a few such as Usurpercon who walked off the assembly line with a unique form that is not used by any other sort of Customercon. In another vein, there are those Customercons created through unusual means, such as Black Crystal Pepsi Convoy, who was an accidental clone of Fishimus Prime. Known Customercon Body Types * Bonglio * Boofhead * Crabbe * Fillor * Fondlor * Fuzzbox * Greppo * Herbajerb * Jeffwing * Killken * Larry * Mixor * Spacenoid * Steveosaur * Van Dude Category:Customercons Category:Bored Fish Era Category:Mass-Produced Transformers Category:Articles by Darthfish